Ladder.



A. BLANKENHAGEN.

LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.3, 1914.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

NTTORNEW;

pnrrnn srarns rnrnnr onnrcn ALBERT BLANKENHAGEN, OF AKRON, OHIO,ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF 'IO FRANK W.

BLANKENHAGEN, 0F AKRON, OHIO.

- LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept, 28, 1915.

Application filed November 3, 1914. Serial No. 870,134.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT BLANKEN- HAGEN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summitand State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ladders,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ladders especially of theextension type.

The object of the invention is to provide a ladder comprising fixed andmovable members, the former adapted to rest on the round and support themovable member with the latter preferably arranged approximatelyparallel with a vertical wall and pr'ovided with one or more adjustablebrackets capable of supporting a platform or plank for the use ofartisans, such as painters The invention contemplates the provision ofmeans whereby brackets may be locked in position and when in place onthe movable member of the ladder arranged to engage the wall and holdthe member at a fixed de- I terminate distance from the wall andapproximately parallel therewith. Various other improvements as to themanner of supporting and holding the brackets and means of raising andholding the shiftable portion of the ladder, form portions of thisinvention.

A further object of the invention is to provide nfeans for connectingthe movable member of the ladder with the fixed or groundengagingmember.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of partsconstituting the invention to be hereinafter specifically described andillustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereofwherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is tobe understood that changes, variations and modifications which comewithin the scope of the matter hereinafter claimed.

In the drawings in which similar reference numerals indicate like partsin the different figures, Figure 1, is a perspective view of a ladderembodying this inven tion; Fig. ,2, is a similar view of a bracketemployed in connection with said ladder; Fig. 3, is a sectional Viewtaken approxi-. mately on line X of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, is a sectional Viewapproximately on line Y of Fig.

. 3; and, Fig. 5, is .a perspective view of a.

coupling member employed for uniting the two Parts of the laddertogether.

Briefly, the ladder embodies fixed and movable members, the formeradapted to rest on the ground and preferably in an inclined position andsupport the other portion in a position approximately parallel withrespect to the side wall of a building, the movable member provided withadjustable brackets on which a platform or plank may be placed for theuse of artisans working on a building.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the fixed portion of theladder constitutes a pair of upright stiles 1 and 2 extending betweenwhich are rungs 3. In practice, the lower or ground-engaging ends of thestiles 1 and 2 are preferably bent away from each other at 1 for thepurpose of in creasing the stability of-the device. Near the lower endof the fixed member and secured to the stiles l and 2 is a cross bar 5forming one member of a coupling element for uniting the'two members ofthe ladder together. Usually the bar is provided with laterally-turnedends which engage the stiles 1 and 2 and are secured in position byfrictional engagement therewith or by hold-fast devices, as is deemedbest. The upper outer portions of the stiles 1 and 2 provided withplates 6 from which project pins 7 on which are pi otally mounted arms 8having inturned L-shaped ends 9 opposing each other. Pivotally mountedbetween the outer and inner ends of each arm 8 are rollers 10. The upperrung 47 of the fixed member is provided centrally with a sheave 11 overwhich runs a flexible member 46 and the rung 48 immediately below thisis provided with a pair of yoke-shaped coupling members 12 the outerends 13 of each of which are spaced apart and constitute gripping jawsfor a purpose to be later described. Extending from the faces of thecoupling members 12 which are adjacent to the movable member of theladder is a flexible member 14 in the form of a Y with the lower. end 15thereof depending in reach of an operator and with the upper end in theform of a yoke 16 separately connected with the two coupling members 12.

The movable or shiftable member of the ladderconsists of a pair ofparallel stiles 17 and 18 united by rungs 19 in the cus; tomary manner.This ladder is mounted for use by positioning it between the upper rung57 of the fixed member and the rollers 10 carried bv the arms 8 so as topermit easy vertical shifting thereof. livotally secured to the lowerface. of the stiles 17 and 18 by means of a hinge 20 is a clip 21 havinga hook-shaped upper end 22 which is held against the stile in theposition shown in Fig. 5 by means of a keeper 23 pivoted at '24 when theladder is in use, but when it is desired to collapse or pack the ladderfor transportation. the lower end of the movable member is' swunginwardly toward the bars 5: and after releasing the keeier 23 thehook-sha )ed eli )s 21 are passed around the bar 5 and the keeper replaced, thereby locking the two portions of the ladder in approximatelyparallelism. By this means the ladder may be transported as a unit tothe place. of operation.

Mounted on the rungs of the movable member of the ladder are a pluralityof brackets and as they areal] similar a description of one is believedto be sufficient for all and attention is directed especially to Fig.-2. Each bracket comprises a pair of parallel upright bars 30 and 31,the up per ends of which are downwardly turned to constitute hooks 32.Extending between the upper ends of the arms 30 and 31 a cross bar 33 onthe outer ends of which are pivotal arms 34 normally arranged atapproximately right angles with respect to the bars 30 and 31. The frontends of the arm 34 project in parallelism and with their outer free endsfashioned to constitute widely divergent prongs, preferably sharpenedfor engagement with the side walls of a building or equivalentstructure. The opposite ends 36 of these bars extend away from thebuilding and are arranged in approximate lapping engagement with theside faces of the hooks 32 of the arms 30 and 31 so that when the arms3-l are in their operative or working position the open ends of thehooks 32 are closed, The lower portion of the front edges of the bars 30and 31 are provided with a plurality of notches 37 and extending betweenthe arms 84 near their median portion is a cross bar 38 which serves tohold them in parallelism and also constitutes pivoting means for a pairof braces 39, the lower ends 10 of which are adapted to engage in thenotches- 37. The lower ends 40 of the braces 39 are held in parallelismby means of across the lower ends of the bars 30 and 31.

The brackets are positioned by raising the ends 35 of the arms 34 untilthe arms 34: and bars 30 and 31 are in approximate parallelism whichlowers the rear ends 36 of the arms 34 and uncovers the openings formedby the hooks 32. The hooks 32 are then hooked over a rung and are swungto their horizontal position, in doing which the shorter ends 36 of thebars 3+ move upwardly and look under the rung, therebv preventing anyaccidental displacement of the bracket while in use. The lower ends t0of the braces 39 are then secured in the notches 37, the members 42connected to any suitable portion of the braces 39 and a platform orplank t5 is placed on the upper face of the bracket.

It will be apparent of course, that in use two ladders will be utilizedand a plank or platform extended between the parallel brackets of thetwo ladders. If it is desired to shift the position of the platform atany time, any bracket may be shifted without removing the ladder fromits position and at the same time, by making the niovable ladder ofconsiderable length a plurality of brackets and platforms may beemployed, thereby enabling different elevations to be obtained by theworkmen in their use without shifting the ladder from its position. I

Forthe purpose of raising or lowering the movable member of the device,a flexible member, such for instance, as a rope to, is secured to somesuitable place as, for instance, one of the rungs of the movable memberand passed upwardly over the sheave 11 anddown to any suitable placeadjacent to the lower end of the fixed member of the ladder so as to bewithin reach of an operator. When it is desired to shift the movableportion of the ladder the operator slightly raises the movable member byforce exerted downwardly on the flexible .membsr 46 by releasing thegripping members 12 which are then drawn outwardly by means of theflexible member 14 which shifts them out of the path of the rungs of themovable member which is then raised by the flexible member -16 to anydesired position or lowered by releasing force thereon and when theproper position is secured the gripping members will fall to theirlocking position by gravity and engage one of the rungs of the movableladder for looking it against movement.

I claim 1. A ladder of the class designated comprising fixed and movablesections, the latter when in its operative position adapted to besupported in a vertical position and in parallelism with a wall by thefixed section, the latter extending in an inclined direction and atan'angle to the movable section, means for loosely coupling. thesections tom'on therewith. I

a A ladder of the class designated comprising fixed and movablesections, the latter when in its operative position adapted to besupported in a vertical position and in parallelism with a wall by thefixed section, the latter extending in an inclined direction and at anangle to the movable section, means for loosely coupling the sectionstogether, brackets carried by said movable section arranged torest/against said Wall for holding the movable section in spacedrelation therewith, and means for securing the brackets to the movablemember, said means permitting the shifting of said brackets.

3. A ladder of the class designated comprising a fixed and movablesection, means for loosely coupling said sections together, said movablesection adapted when in. its operative position to extend in an uprightmanner and in parallelism with a supporting structure, the fixed'sectionextending downwardly from said movable section and at an inclination tocomprise a support and brace for vedging said movable'section towardsaid supporting structure, a removable bracket capable of supporting aplatform detachably secured to the movable section and adapted to engagesaid supporting structure for holding the movable section of the ladderin spaced relation to said structure, any weight on said platformoperating to force the movable section inwardly toward the wall byreason of the inclined position of said fixed section.

\ In testimony WhereofI have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

ALBERT BLANKENHAGEN.

Witnesses:

C. E. HUMPHREY, A. L. MCCLINTOCK.

copies 0t this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G."

